Global Courant 2023-04-21 08:44:26
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans travel to Los Algodones, Mexico for cheaper dental care, offering treatment at well below the cost in the United States.
During the high season from November to April, Molar City’s 7,000 population nearly doubles with Americans making the day trip. (AFP)
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans travel across the Mexican border to the small town of Los Algodones in search of root canals and veneers, not sun and sand.
Nearly 600 dentists cram the town’s four main streets, offering procedures at a fraction of the cost in the United States.
“The highest density of dentists per square kilometer in the world,” jokes one of the men scrambling to find clients near the border crossing.
Los Algodones is better known to Americans as the “Molar City”; it’s a word-of-mouth nickname long before the internet made shopping for healthcare easier.
The town adopted the moniker a long time ago and now runs a website – molarcity.org – to help potential patients choose doctors and solve travel logistics.
Competition is fierce, with colorful signs hanging from every balcony and flyers advertising discounts for whitening, teething and implants.
Despite so many dentists, there is still a lot of demand to go around.
In the high season from November to April, Molar City’s 7,000 population nearly doubles with Americans making the day trip.
Even during the sweltering summer months, about 2,000 people a day come from US border states like California, Arizona or New Mexico.
Cost equivalent to Tesla
A look at any dentist’s price list reveals why that place is so popular.
“My dentist in California wanted to put the equivalent of a Tesla in my mouth,” taunts Rene, 65, from California, whose first visit to Molar City was for four implants.
“He told me the whole procedure would cost $57,000,” the Uber driver laughs, covering his mouth with one hand.
Dr Carlos Rubio, who has trained in both Mexico and the United States, says it was the huge price difference that initially attracted customers.
The 63-year-old says the discount is so great that even if a patient has to travel repeatedly for multiple appointments, it’s more than enough to cover the additional travel costs.
U.S. dental care is often funded through private employment-linked insurance policies and often has annual coverage limits.
According to the University of Illinois Chicago, nearly a quarter of Americans do not have dental health insurance, while public programs like Medicaid do not routinely cover any type of dental care.
David Barry, a retiree who has had their teeth taken care of in Molar City for more than a decade, says many Americans can’t afford to go to the dentist.
“Most people in the U.S. don’t have dental insurance, or their dental insurance doesn’t cover much—like $1,000 a year for a crown,” he says.
“It’s not that great for anything big, so I needed some work when I first came in – a few implants and crowns.
“They quoted me $35,000 in California. I think I paid about $6,000 or $8,000 here.”
The 64-year-old, who now lives in Arizona, says many people have a misconception that dentistry in Mexico is of lower quality.
In fact, he says: “The equipment here is more advanced. My home dentists still use impressions – they do everything electronically here.”
Source: AFP
